Philip Morris Company:
Philip Morris was a real person – a British tobacconist and entrepreneur – who founded what would eventually become the largest publicly-traded tobacco company in the world. In 1847, Philip Morris opened a tobacco shop on Bond Street in London, selling hand-rolled Turkish cigarettes. He died in 1873. After his death, his widow and business partners continued to grow the business. The Company lived under various names, eventually becoming Philip Morris & Co. Ltd. in 1881. Philip Morris & Co. Ltd. established a New York branch called Philip Morris & Co., Ltd. Inc. in 1902. This American subsidiary was set up mainly for importing and selling cigarettes in the U.S., including its early brands like Marlboro – which was first launched in 1924 as a premium brand targeted at women.
In 1929, the U.S. branch was reorganized into an American corporation known as Philip Morris Inc. From the 1930s to 1950s, under the American management, the Company shifted the production to the U.S. and developed strong domestic marketing campaigns. However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that things really took off. In 1954, Philip Morris repositioned Marlboro as a men’s cigarette, introduced the Marlboro’s iconic red logo and red & white packaging in an innovative flip-top box format and, as part of the desired masculine image, developed the “Marlboro Man” campaign.The U.S.-based company gradually outpaced its British counterpart and became the dominant force in the tobacco industry. Philip Morris Inc. listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), raising capital and expanding its business aggressively from 1950s onwards. Over the decades, it became one of the most profitable corporations in the U.S., acquiring other businesses (like Kraft Foods, General Foods and Miller Breweries) and becoming a true conglomerate. Subsequently, in 2001, Philip Morris announced its intention to change the company’s name and in 2003, Philip Morris Companies Inc. became Altria Group Inc. Altria was chosen as the new name to better reflect the company’s broader portfolio and to distance itself from the negative associations that were growing around the word “tobacco” as health concerns and regulations mounted. Altria name was derived from the Latin word “altus,” meaning “high” or “lofty,” which symbolizes the company’s ambition to reach higher goals and expand beyond tobacco.
However, Altria spun off Kraft in 2007 and Philip Morris International in 2008. Philip Morris International (PMI) was responsible for international markets and operated out of Lausanne, Switzerland (- altough being legally based in New York before moving to Connecticut). Thereby, PMI beame an American corporation with no operations in the U.S. Meanwhile, Philip Morris USA (PMUSA), responsible for the U.S. operations, remained part of the Altria group. Until 2022, PMI and PMUSA operated in mutually exclusive geographies. However, following the failed merger talks in 2019 and the acquisition of Swedish Match in 2022, PMI entered the U.S. market. PMI U.S. and PM USA became direct competitors: Philip Morris vs. Philip Morris.
Philip Morris Cigarettes:
Philip Morris is also a cigarette brand, named after the Company’s founder, has a long history and is available in over 40 countries worldwide. In 1933, Philip Morris Inc. introduced the “Philip Morris English Blend” in the U.S., a non-filter, regular-size cigarette. In 1948, the brand was renamed as “Philip Morris Special Blend”. “Call for Philip Morris!” campaign, ran from 1930s to 1950s, was the most notable Philip Morris advertising campaign in the U.S. At the center of the campaign was Johnny Roventini – a hotel bellhop who became one of the most iconic brand mascots in advertising history. He would shout the catchphrase “Call for Philip Morris!” in a distinctive voice, often while dressed in a bellboy uniform.
In the 1950s, Philip Morris brand gained prominence by sponsoring the “I Love Lucy” TV show, with branding featured during the show’s credits. In 1953, Philip Morris brand became available in king-size (85mm) and queen-size (100mm) formats, both filtered and non-filtered. In 1960, Philip Morris Commander was launched as a menthol-flavored, filtered cigarette. In 1963, Philip Morris Multifilter with a charcoal filter was introduced. Over the years, the brand has evolved with various blends and packaging changes to cater to different markets and consumer preferences.
In the international markets (especially Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia), the Philip Morris brand positioned itself as affordable, aspirational, and urban – targeting younger adult smokers and working-class buyers. Its packaging and ads emphasized modernity and international appeal. And, in some countries, other brands were morphed into the Philip Morris brand. The most prominent case: in Italy, the “Diana” brand was renamed as Philip Morris in June 2015.
